Biographical notes

Hugh's birth on 13th June 1835 is recorded in the Ayr Parish Register. His father was a Shoemaker who was born in Stranraer. His mother, Mary Logie, was the daughter of Hugh Logie and Agnes Humphrey.

He is recorded in the 1841 Census as aged 6, living with his parents, brother and sister at Cross Street, Wallacetown, Ayr (in the parish of St Quivox). His Obituary in the Ayr Advertiser (26th March 1908), tells of his schooling at the Newton Free Church School, after which he began work in the offices of the Ayrshire Agriculturalist. On 5th March 1849, he began work as a printer's devil in the Ayr Advertiser office. Thus in the 1851 Census he is still living at the family home, aged 15, with his father (67) and sister Agnes (17), and his profession is given as Printer Compositor. This was the beginning of his life long association with the Ayrshire Advertiser.

Also in 1851 ensus

The 1861 Census return shows Hugh, aged 25, a bachelor, as head of the house at Allison Street in Ayr with the profession of Newspaper Reporter. His sister Agnes is described as House Keeper (a few months later she left to marry Andrew Pettigrew). Hugh's obituary states that he worked up to the reporters' room, becoming an assistant reporter in May 1853, and editor (under the newspaper's owner T.M. Gemmell's watchful tutelage), probably in 1858. Also visiting the house that night were Jessie Allan (25, niece to Agnes), and her illegitimate son Robert Allan (b. 5 Feb 1861 d.1864), and Christina I. Allan (10, child of Ann Allan, possibly Agnes's half sister, and Neil McKinnon).

The same year he moved house, and on 7th November he married Agnes Goudie Anderson (aged 23). His new address was 29 Mill Street, Ayr.

The 1881 Census shows the couple living at 11 Montgomerie Terrace together with his widowed brother-in-law, Peter Anderson, and his two nephews-in-law; Thomas Goudie Anderson (b, Kilmarnock 22 OCT 1872), and Alfred Logie Anderson (b. Kilmarnock 07 MAR 1874).

In the 1891 Census he is living as a widower at 22 Ballantine Drive, still with his two nephews and two servants. His wife, Agnes, had died in 1886. His brother-in-law is not listed.

The 1901 Census shows him living at the same address, on his own with two servants.

For the last ten years of his life, and his editorship of the Ayr Advertiser, Allan was totally blind, and relied on having the Scotsman and the Glasgow Herald read to him each morning. He died on the 19th of March 1908 aged 66.